Optional Responsibilities
by wawwhite
Summary: Sometimes you take responsibility when it wasn't given to you.
1. Chapter 1

"Lavender, what are you doing here? It's past curfew." Percy looked down at the younger Gryffindor huddled in a forgotten corridor. Pushing his spectacles up, he continued in a stern voice, "I really hate to dock points, but I simply cannot make exceptions for anyone. You're going to have to return…" Percy trailed off, finally noticing the tears trailing down the girl's face.

"Uh, what's wrong, Lavender?"

"Everything!" she wailed. "I hate it here; I'm failing all my classes. I just want to run away and go home!"

Crouching, Percy gently urged, "Why don't you tell me all about it?"


	2. Chapter 2

_This was a drabble, but phil_urich on LJ asked me so nicely for a follow up, so how could I refuse!?_

Lavender sniffed, running the back of her hand under her damp nose. After her outburst, she seemed unable to say anything more. Her body trembled slightly as she sat on the floor, but her lips were pressed together firmly.

Percy sighed; he was no good at trying to understand the often-irrational emotions of females. Living proof – his kid sister, Ginny; Percy made her wail three times more often than he was ever able to comfort her enough to dry her tears.

Crouched on the floor beside her, Percy remained silent, hoping giving her a minute would help. Fishing it out of his pocket, Percy handed her a handkerchief.

Lavender took it and wiped her eyes, then shamelessly blew her nose. For a moment she studied the "P" embroidered in red, simple and unadorned. Out of nowhere, she wailed loudly, "Percy, I want to go home! I don't want to be here anymore."

Startled, Percy jumped in his seat, but tried to cover it with a cough. "Lavender, we can talk about this, but you have to be quiet. You don't want to get in trouble, do you?"

"Nooooo," Lavender exhaled, and she continued more softly. "But I don't really care. Maybe they'll send me home. I don't want to be here anymore!"

"I heard you," Percy commented in exasperation. Lavender's frown deepened, and she turned away. Percy realized that perhaps he needed to speak more gently. "I'm sorry. Why don't you tell me why you want to go home?"

Lavender gave him the silent treatment for an instant, but turned back sheepishly. "I want to go home because I don't like it here."

Percy hid a sigh. He was going to be here all night, if she insisted upon being evasive like Ginny always did. Oh well, he'd just have to slowly draw it out of her. "Why don't you like it here, Lavender?"

"Everyone here is mean to me!"

"Everyone? Who's everyone?"

"Nobody."

Suppressing a groan, Percy chided her gently, "Come on, you have to tell me who, so we can figure out what to do."

"I don't want to _do_ anything!"

Percy grimaced. Wasn't that just like Ginny? Never wanted to do anything, just wanted to sit around and mope! "All right, we don't have to do anything. We can just… sit here… and talk about it, okay?"

"Okay. Well, it was Parvati – she was being mean."

"What'd she do—er, say?"

Growing heated, Lavender launched into her tale, "I overheard her talking to Padma about me! She was saying that she wished she could be in Ravenclaw, because everyone here was boring! And I thought I was her best friend, but now I don't think I want to be."

Percy cleared his throat, "Well… maybe she just missed her sister? I see you with Parvati all the time – I think you're good friends. I don't see how she could say Gryffindor was boring, you two never stop giggling."

Lavender thought for a bit and then shrugged, "Maybe. I don't know why she would forget about me, though, but I guess I forgive her." Tapping her chin, she stated, "Hermione wasn't very nice to me to me today either. She kept interrupting me when I was talking about homework; trying to give all the right answers, like I'm too stupid or something."

Smiling to himself, Percy informed, "I think Hermione's just like that. I don't think she thinks anyone is stupid. She just has too much information filling her brain that she can't help it when it just has to come out."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, I wasn't super mad at her or anything."

"Next?"

"That stupid Slytherin, Pansy Parkinson! At dinner, she and Millicent were making fun of my hair. I hate her so much!"

"I think you should just ignore Pansy; she's very insecure, even for a Slytherin. She'll get tired if you ignore her after awhile."

"After a long while," Lavender scowled.

Percy hid a laugh. "Anyone else make you miserable today?"

"I guess not; I wasn't very miserable. I mean, more people are more miserable than me."

Percy struggled to understand. "I think so; other girls would have gotten their feelings more hurt… right?"

"Yes, I'm not as emotional as some other girls."

Percy was becoming very appreciative of the concealing darkness in the corridor. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yes."

"No more running away?"

"Nope." A grin danced across Lavender's face.

"Good. I wouldn't want to get in trouble for letting a student escape. I think we should head back to the common room, what do you say?"

"All right."

Lavender chattered as they walked quietly back, about how she had forgiven Parvati, what she was going to say to Hermione, and how she was going to ignore Pansy and Millicent no matter what they said. When they finally made their way inside the common room, all traces of sorrow were gone. Percy wouldn't have believe Lavender had been sobbing only fifteen minutes before, unless he had seen it himself.

Shaking his head in amazement, Percy stared at Lavender as she ran up the stairs to her dormitory. Girls were so unreasonable! Then he remembered she still had his handkerchief. Oh well, let her keep it – mum would send him a dozen more if he asked.


End file.
